In 2023, 982 U.S. construction workers died in job site accidents, but five times as many died from suicide, and 15 times as many from drug overdoses. Building trades unions are increasingly grappling with mental health and substance abuse as serious safety issues for members.
In Washington, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would require state-registered construction apprenticeship programs to provide training on suicide prevention. HB 2492, sponsored by Washington State Representative Greg Nance (D-Poulsbo), has 20 Democratic and 2 Republican cosponsors. The bill would require at least two hours of behavioral health and wellness training and the training would have to cover “destigmatizing behavioral health and supporting wellness; recognizing signs of distress; suicide prevention; substance abuse disorder awareness and prevention; and providing peer support and connecting to resources.”
The bill is a priority for the union building trades, Washington State Building Trades executive secretary Heather Kurtenbach told lawmakers at a Jan. 21 hearing. Kurtenbach is a journeyman ironworker who herself overcame addiction; she also lost her youngest brother to suicide.
“This bill will save lives,” Kurtenbach said.
